Imperfectly fluent: Letting go of perfection 3g5x1d

What if your perfectionism is holding you back from progressing in Chinese? In this episode, hosts Jared Turner and John Pasden delve into the impact of perfectionism on language learning. From listening and speaking to reading and writing, they explore how perfectionism can both hinder and help your progress. Special guest interview is with Rob Neal, a ionate Chinese language teacher from Manchester, England, who shares his experiences and insights into teaching Chinese culture and language. Don't forget to subscribe and share the podcast! Links from the episode: The physics of languages | Physics World Mandarin Companion Newsletter | Sign up at the bottom of the page Shirts for Chinese Learners | Mandarin Companion Merch Timestamps  Perfectionism and its effects [00:00:44] Discussion on the concept of perfectionism and its impact on language learning. Perfectionism as a barrier to progress [00:01:21] Exploration of how perfectionism can hinder language learning and the fear of failure associated with it. Adjusting standards and realistic expectations [00:03:44] The importance of adjusting perfectionist tendencies and setting realistic standards to facilitate language learning progress. Reading Pain and Effective Language Learning [00:09:35] The hosts discuss the negative impact of reading pain on motivation and the effectiveness of learning a language through grinding through difficult books. Finding the Right Level for Reading [00:10:26] The hosts emphasize the importance of finding the right level for reading and how it can greatly benefit language learning progress. Handwriting vs. Typing in Chinese [00:11:34] The hosts discuss the separate skills of handwriting and typing in Chinese, and how being a perfectionist in handwriting can impede learning progress. The importance of tones in pronunciation [00:19:41] Discussion on how tones are an aspect of pronunciation and become more important as language proficiency increases. The role of grammar in language learning [00:22:29] Exploration of the significance of grammar in Chinese language learning and the advice to not be overly perfectionist about it. Embracing imperfections in language learning [00:25:36] Discussion on the benefits of embracing imperfections in language learning and how it can lead to growth and progress. The Physics of Languages [00:30:37] Discussion on applying physics models to analyze language spread and common features between languages. Zipf's Law of Brevity [00:32:36] Explanation of a statistical law that states more frequently used words tend to be shorter, ed by a study of over a thousand languages. Rob's Chinese Journey [00:34:49] Interview with Rob Neale, a Mandarin Chinese teacher, about his experience learning Chinese and his parents' involvement with China in the 80s and 90s. Learning Chinese in China [00:40:24] The speaker discusses their decision to go to China to learn Chinese and their initial experiences in Beijing. Choosing China over Japan [00:41:11] The speaker explains why they chose to go to China instead of Japan and their excitement about the rapid changes happening in China. Immersion in Chinese Language [00:44:30] The speaker talks about their language learning process in China, including ing a language course and practicing Chinese with classmates and locals. The Transformational Experience [00:51:35] Rob shares his experiences of taking students to China and how it transformed their motivation and perception of learning Chinese. Working for the BBC during the Olympics [00:52:57] Rob talks about his job as a local fixer for the BBC during the Beijing Olympics and how it motivated his students to continue learning Chinese. The Future of Chinese Language Education [00:56:22] Rob discusses the current challenges in Chinese language education and the importance of understanding China in the 21st century. The PhD research on pronunciation [01:00:31] The speaker discusses their experience doing a PhD in second language acquisition, focusing on pronunciation, and how it gave them a new lease of life. The importance of reading for pleasure [01:02:36] The speaker shares their regret of not starting to read Mandarin Companion books earlier and how reading for pleasure can greatly improve language skills. The controversy around the importance of tones [01:05:12] The speaker talks about their controversial PhD thesis that tested the assumption that tones are not crucial for understanding spoken Mandarin, and discusses the findings of their research. The roommate's taxi story [01:11:48] An anecdote about the speaker's Italian roommate trying to call a taxi in China using the word "choo choo." Advice for learning Chinese [01:12:35] The guest, Robert Neil, gives advice on learning Chinese, including persevering, not being afraid of making mistakes, and immersing oneself in the language and culture. See at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. 1bm6